Re-Regeneration
by betawho
Summary: This is my version of what Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor could have been like.


Author's Note: _When Capaldi was first cast as the Doctor I started speculating what kind of characterization his Doctor would have, what he'd wear, and how he'd act._

 _He would obviously need to be different than the last two Doctors, but as an older man he'd also need to be able to hold the portion of the audience that was accustomed to the Doctor being someone to crush on._

 _This was my version, still eccentric, but older, wiser, calmer, an elegant man of the world, mature and attractive. A "Silver Fox." In the Doctor's own unique style. I hope you enjoy this trip into "what might have been."_

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Clara opened the Tardis door and poked her nose in. She didn't know what to expect, the Doctor had regenerated, but she hadn't seen him. The Tardis had dematerialized, and rematerialized a second later.

She knew, with the Tardis, that second could have been a long time.

She tiptoed inside. The layout had subtly changed, it was still the same raised central floor with a gallery all around, but now there were bookshelves and an armchair, everything generally more cluttered but with a cosy feeling.

It made her nervous.

She stepped all the way in and looked down. A pair of long legs emerged from under the console.

Italian loafers, complete with tassels, led up to long legs encased in elegant dove gray slacks, a sleek leather belt banded a lean waist, and a crisp white dress shirt tucked into it.

Over it dangled a threadbare old cardigan, ratty, overstretched, with a ragged hole in the corner of one pocket.

It was the kind of garment a wife would be constantly throwing in the waste bin, and a husband would repeatedly sneakily rescue because it was "comfortable."

She leaned sideways and looked under the rim of the console. A floppy brimmed canvas fishing hat obscured his face.

"Doctor?" she asked tremulously.

The brim of the hat lifted, revealing touchable gray curls, a mature, weathered, face, and twinkling silver blue eyes.

"Hello, Clara."

It was the face of a silver fox.

Clara gaped.

He swung up from under the console with a lithe economy of motion. He walked around the console, casually touching this control, tuning that, easy, confident, unhurried.

She stared at him. "Are you okay?"

He looked up, one well defined eyebrow arched in question.

"You did just, sort of, explode."

He considered that, then looked down at himself. He breathed in a deeply and stretched out long arms, arching his back in a deep stretch, as if feeling his new body from the inside out.

He gave a long, drawn out sigh of satisfaction, like a man getting a massage. "Well, there was a bit of overflow, but I feel excellent."

"You look, older," she sounded a bit unsure of that, he didn't _seem_ old. Although with that cardigan and that hat he looked like a retired tourist. The kind who would happily give you the benefit of his wisdom and experience, whether you wanted it or not.

He smiled a charming vulpine smile at her. "I _am_ older. Oldest I've ever been." He stopped to consider. "Youngest I've ever been, too. I've got a whole new life in front of me." He swept a slow arm out toward the universe as if to display all the possibilities.

He lifted her fingers on the edge of his with a courtly bow, and kissed the back of her hand. "Where would you like to go? Lady's choice."

She blinked, and cleared her throat. She wasn't quite used to this level of calm sophistication.

She frowned. " _What_ is that on your hat?"

He stood up and plucked one of the objects off his hat. At first glance she'd thought they were fishing flies. But up close they were small colorful cubistic bits, all stuck together, like tiny transparent Legos made of jelly beans.

He turned it over in long fingers, examining it. "New circuit designs for the sonic screwdriver, I'm experimenting with some new functions." He flicked a bit of lint off it and stuck it back on his hat.

She blinked at him. "You're mad."

He grinned that charming, sharptoothed grin at her. " _Some_ things never change."

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For more stories by this author click on "betawho" at the top of the page.

Please take a moment to leave a review. Thank you.

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After Notes:

 _1\. The "circuits" on the Doctor's hat were meant to look like the "link" that Al uses to contact Ziggy in Quantum Leap. (You can google it by searching. - Quantum Leap Ziggy "link")_

 _2\. I liked the idea of this costume for the Doctor, because it's two in one. If he just takes off the hat and the cardigan he looks like a well dressed elegant older gentleman, pressed and polished. With the hat and cardigan on, he looks like a retired tourist. :D_

 _Please let me know what you think._


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